Former CIA Director Michael V. Hayden to speak in Delaware

Former CIA director Michael V. Hayden will speak at the next dinner event organized by the World Affairs Council of Delaware on Tuesday Dec. 19.

Hayden served as the director of the National Security Agency from 1999 to 2005. He presided over the controversial warrantless wiretapping program that tracked communication between American citizens and foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism.

He led the CIA from 2006 to 2009, during which he famously defended “enhanced interrogation” techniques such as waterboarding before the U.S. Senate.

Since leaving government, Hayden wrote a memoir “Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror.” He also works for The Chertoff Group, a firm that helps companies navigate the intersection of technology and cybersecurity.

The retired five-star general will speak about the global political environment and what it means for American interests abroad. He will also delve into the question that has defined his career: how can the U.S. balance liberty with security?